Abstract: A soft medical silicone edged cushion may significantly reduce air leakage and provide comfort to a wearer of a face mask, for example, when the face mask is continually worn by a healthcare worker for a twelve hour shift of medical duty. The cushion may preferably be U-shaped and comprise a cross-section for holding an extra soft silicone gel, yet be sufficiently hard and elastic and of predetermined circumference to be adaptable to self-installation to the lateral edges of a face mask and coatable to protect from the escape of air and to fit comfortably despite the use of elastic straps with the face mask or the presence of solid plastic lateral edges of an oxygen mask or a ventilator mask. The cushion may be used to cushion a solid plastic laterally edged oxygen or ventilator mask against the use of elastic ties to tie the face mask around a patient's head.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of enriching beetroot products to increase the nitrate content of the beetroot powder product. The disclosure also relates to beetroot powder products with increased with at least 4% nitrate.

Abstract: A hygienic cleaner for cleaning a dental appliance. The hygienic cleaner includes a housing, a cleaning chamber, and a blower. The housing includes a base and a lid. The lid is positionable about an inlet to the base. An outlet is defined between the lid and the base. The cleaning chamber shaped to receive the dental appliance therein. The cleaning chamber is in fluid communication with the outlet. The blower includes a fan to blow air and a stator with curved blades to swirl the air through the cleaning chamber and out the outlet whereby moisture on the dental appliance is blown out of the housing. A mister may also be provided and includes a sprayer and a reservoir positionable about the cleaning chamber to emit a cleaning fluid onto the dental appliance in the cleaning chamber whereby contaminants on the dental appliance are destroyed.

Abstract: An elastic virus-repellant, body-shield formed from a virus-repellant fabric for isolating people from surfaces of public seating. The body-shield is deployed through fitting and securing the shield to a public seat through the elastic nature of the shield and anchoring drawstrings until retrieved and packed into an attached carrying pouch. Certain embodiments include analogous supplementary shields for armrests, fold-down tables, leg-supplements, headrests, and other surfaces from which users need to be shielded.

Abstract: An herb or tobacco grinder is provided in which the cutting surfaces line a series of elongated, curved grooves. The slots or grooves are laterally elongated such as to easily receive leaf material, as well as stem, seed or the like. The slots or grooves are slightly curved in opposite directions and intersect to form an impingement cutting region.

Abstract: A realtime kernel supports realtime communications between communicants operating on respective network nodes. The realtime kernel handles the complex tasks of connecting to communicants, virtual areas, and other network resources, switching those connections in response to user inputs, and mixing realtime data streams. The realtime kernel enables developers to focus on developing high-level communications functionality instead of low-level plumbing code. The realtime kernel imposes relatively low computational resource requirements so that realtime communications performance can be achieved using a wide range of computing devices and network connections that currently are available.

Abstract: A surgical stapling assembly comprising a staple cartridge, a sled movable during a firing stroke between a proximal unfired position and a distal fired position, and a plurality of staples removably stored within the staple cartridge is disclosed. The staples are configured to be ejected from the staple cartridge by the sled. Each staple comprises a proximal staple leg comprising a proximal piercing tip, a distal staple leg comprising a distal piercing tip, and an integral staple driver base portion. The proximal staple leg and the distal staple leg extend from the integral staple driver base portion. The integral staple driver base portion comprises a body portion, a ramp surface configured to be contacted by the sled, and a starter guide feature configured to assist sled driving contact between the sled and the ramp surface.

Abstract: The invention provides a compound of formula 1 or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof, that is useful as a JAK inhibitor. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compound, methods of using the compound to treat diseases amenable to a JAK inhibitor, and processes useful for preparing the compound.

Abstract: A screw bit body which allows for efficient torque force application onto a socket fastener. The screw bit body includes a plurality of laterally-bracing sidewalls, a first base, and a second base. The laterally-bracing sidewalls are radially distributed about a rotation axis of the screw bit body with each further including a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge, a bracing surface, and an engagement cavity. The engagement cavity creates an additional gripping point to prevent slippage in between the screw bit body and the socket fastener. The engagement cavity traverses normal and into the bracing surface. Additionally, the engagement cavity traverses into the screw bit body from the first base to the second base. The engagement cavity is specifically positioned offset from the first lateral edge by a first distance.

Abstract: Minimum Federal Safety Standards for corrosion control on buried oil & gas pipelines stipulate that metallic pipes should be properly coated and have impressed-current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems in place to control the electrical potential field around a protected pipe. In certain examples described herein, electrically-conductive composites can be used and provide intrinsically-safe materials without the dielectric shielding issues of existing materials used with pipelines. As reacted by customary spray applications, the nanocomposite foams described herein are directly compatible with ICCP functionality wherever foam contacts the metallic pipe. Various compositions and their use with underground and/or above ground pipelines are described.

Abstract: Stapling assemblies for use with a surgical stapler and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. Three dimensional adjuncts for use with a surgical stapling assembly and methods for manufacturing the same are also provided.

Abstract: Novel tools and techniques might provide for implementing customer-based Internet of Things (“IoT”)—transparent privacy functionality. Various methods, systems, and apparatuses might provide connectivity between a network interface device (“NID”) and each of one or more first user devices of a plurality of user devices associated with the customer premises and/or a user who is associated with the customer premises. In some cases, at least one virtual network function (“VNF”) might be sent to each of the one or more first user devices. The NID might restrict, in some cases using the VNF, access by a third party to the information regarding the at least one portion of the at least one of one or more first user devices connected to the network or one or more applications running on one or more first user devices connected to the network.

Abstract: A media session is established between a first device (e.g., endpoint) and a second device (e.g., endpoint) via a communication network based on connectivity checks performed by the devices. A set of candidate pairs, including network addresses available to the first device and the second device, is generated. Among the candidate pairs of the candidate pair set, a respective priority is initially assigned for connectivity checks. If a connectivity check modification condition is determined to be met for candidate pairs used for connectivity checks, the priority ordering of the candidate pairs is modified to produce a second priority ordering. This second priority ordering assigns a higher priority for a candidate pair which meets the connectivity check modification condition than a candidate pair that does not meet the condition. Based on the modified ordering, connectivity checks are performed, and the media session is configured and established using a candidate pair determined to be valid.

Abstract: The use of user-specific data to process a biometric print, such that use of the biometric print is revoked by invalidating the user-specific data. The processed print is generated by performing one-way processing of the biometric print using the user-specific data. The processed print, not the biometric print, is then provided to the authentication system for later authentication of the user. During matching, the user later provides a current biometric, resulting in generation of a current biometric print. For each of multiple users, the user-specific is obtained for that user, and at least one processed print is generated for each user based on the current biometric print. The current processed prints are used by the authentication system to match against each of the enrolled processed prints. If a match is found, the user is identified as being the user associated with the matching enrolled print.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a surface of an aluminum or aluminum alloy body by immersing the surface in a basic aqueous electrolyte formed essentially from dissolved trisodium phosphate, flowing DC current through the electrolyte and the body for cleaning, and then removing the body from the electrolyte. An additional cleaning step, which may include ultrasonic cleaning, may be performed to remove loose matter adhering to the body after the electrolytic cleaning.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a transducer assembly with a housing having a conduit section and a base portion. A fluid passageway is defined through the conduit and base portion, an ultrasonic transducer including a plurality of piezoelectric elements and a plurality of electrodes are arranged in a stack configuration, where an electrode is located between each pair of piezoelectric elements. A first borehole is defined through the ultrasonic transducer and an end mass having a second borehole defined therethrough. A surface of the end mass is positioned adjacent a first end of the ultrasonic transducer, the end mass is configured to engage with the housing, and the conduit section of the housing is configured to pass through the second borehole of the end mass. The end mass is configured to compress the ultrasonic transducer against a surface of the housing when the end mass is engaged with the housing.

Abstract: A transportation apparatus is described herein that comprises a lifting apparatus having a support structure, a base portion and a scissor-lift device disposed between the support structure and the base portion. The scissor-lift device having a first arm having a first end and a second end pivotally connected to a second arm having a first end and a second end. The first end of the first arm is hingedly connected to the base portion and the second end of the first arm is slidably engaged with the support structure. Similarly, the first end of the second arm is slidably engaged with the base portion and the second end of the second arm is hingedly connected to the support structure. A method of raising centrifuge equipment to a desired height via the lifting apparatus is also described herein.